A/N: So, yeah, apparently the muse isn't finished yet. For all of you asking for more, here it is!
Warning: this is another MA warning. Apparently the muse just finds these two far too irresistible not to write about.
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"This is great! I can't believe we didn't do this years ago," Sam enthused, fishing rod in hand. Jack glanced over at her.
"Yes, well, let's not dwell," he grumbled, reeling in his own line. Rationally, he knew why she'd turned him down all these years but irrationally he still felt aggrieved that it had taken her eight years to get here.
Sam turned towards him and gave him a small smile and a knowing look and he couldn't help but smile back. Damn! And he was getting on so well with his grumpy old man routine too!
Just as he was about to reach over and kiss her, Daniel and Teal'c appeared carrying a large cooler between them. They set it down on the lawn beside the small dock as Teal'c began pulling out a picnic blanket and folding lawn chairs and, apparently, the world's largest bottle of bug spray and the entire contents of the vacation aisle of Walgreens. Jack raised an eyebrow at that.
"I was informed that there were several products effective at deterring bugs from feasting on my skin," Teal'c explained as Sam peered around Jack and poorly hid a snort behind a cough. "I have been informed that a product entitled 'Skin-so-soft' is the most effective, however, the makers of this bottle also make a similar claim. I shall endeavour to test them all."
Daniel picked up the bottle he'd just held up.
"Hey, you want to watch this stuff, Teal'c, it's 99% DEET," he warned, dropping the bottle and wiping his hands on the picnic blanket. Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Just try not to eat it, DEET is supposed to be carcinogenic."
At Teal'c's confused expression, Sam explained.
"It means it can cause cancer, Teal'c."
He bowed his head in thanks.
"I see. Why would a company sell a lethal poison to ward off bugs?" He enquired.
Jack snatched the bottle from his hand.
"Here, lemme see that!" He groused, squinting to read the tiny writing on the back of the bottle. He tossed it back to Teal'c. "Pshaw! We used to use that stuff all of the time back in Borneo, and are all still alive!" He replied indignantly then paused. "Well, mostly." He amended. "None of us died of cancer anyway."
He placed his rod to one side and jumped out of his chair.
"Right, well I'm just going to start the grill, anyone have any particular requests for dinner?" He asked, sweeping his arms out in front of him.
"Not steak!" Came the chorus of replies from the rest of SG-1. Jack pouted and Sam cleared her throat.
"It's not that we don't appreciate a good steak now and then-"
"-Good being the operative word!" Daniel interrupted and she frowned at him before continuing.
"- it's just that we've had the same dinner every night this week."
Jack nodded and frowned at his feet before clasping his hands together and smiling.
"I have a freezer full of trout, how does that sound?"
"Perfect," Sam responded with a smile, placing her fishing rod back into its stand and standing up. "Let me give you a hand."
Daniel looked up at her and smirked, causing her to blush and scowl at him. Daniel rolled his eyes at her before settling down to read a book. By his side Teal'c lay on the blanket glistening with the recently applied mix of moisturisers and bug sprays and his bucket hat resting atop his face.
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Jack returned from the store room carrying 5 large trout just as Sam finished chopping the salad. She arranged it nicely in a large bowl and covered it with a plate before putting it into the fridge for later. She handed Jack the roll of tin foil and he set about carefully wrapping each fish. He stepped out onto the deck to check the barbecue which was smoking away nicely before retuning to the kitchen where Sam was clearing up. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned back into his chest. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he squeezed her tightly.
"God, this feels good," he murmured in her ear as she squeezed his arms in response.
"You know what would feel better?" She asked, pulling away and turning to face him still wrapped in the circle of his arms. He tilted his head questioningly. "This," she whispered, closing the gap between them and running her tongue along his lips. He kissed her hungrily, placing his hands under her ass as he lifted her up until she had her legs wrapped around his hips and her arms around his neck, hands buried in his hair. He stumbled forwards into the table, swiping away the empty wooden fruit bowl and a pile of dish towels onto the floor. The bowl hit the floor with a clatter as Jack lowered Sam onto the table. She leant backwards and pulled him down with her, their lips still frantically crashing together as she gripped him tightly between her thighs.
Sam pulled her lips from his and tilted her head back as he kissed his way along her throat as she gasped for breath. She blindly reached for the buttons on his jeans as he began fumbling with her zipper, struggling to focus as he felt her hand on him through the denim she was so frantically trying to remove. Lifting her up once more, he mumbled something which sounded like bedroom, and carried her down the hall, not caring about the protests currently coming from his knee. Kicking the door shut behind them, he lowered Sam onto the bed just as she pushed his jeans off his hips. Yanking her own jeans off in one smooth tug, she then reached for his t-shirt as he pushed hers up. He began suckling on her taught tip through the lace of her bra as she moaned and rubbed herself against him.
"I want you," she growled in a tone so familiar it gave Jack a momentary pause. His eyes sparkled with surprise as she pressed her lips firmly to his and nipped at his lip with her teeth. Mentally shrugging, he returned her kisses with equal fervour as she slipped a hand under his boxers and rubbed along his length. He moaned as he pushed his boxers off his hips and tugged at her underwear until it fell to the floor. He pressed himself up against her, surprised to find that she was ready. He buried himself inside of her as she dug her fingers into his back, meeting him thrust for thrust and encouraging him to speed up. He knew he wouldn't last long but, from the sounds she was making he suspected neither would she. She tilted her hips to get a better angle and suddenly she was panting his name and shuddering violently beneath him. Her sudden tightening around him tipped him over the edge as he closed his eyes and followed her lead, white stars exploding behind his eyelids.
They lay together, eyes closed, for several minutes, neither having the breath to speak. Jack recovered first.
"Well, that escalated quickly," he quipped as Sam turned toward him and chuckled.
"Ya think?" She responded, still slightly breathless, throwing an arm over her eyes.
After several more minutes of silent breathing, Sam looked over at him.
"We should probably get dressed or the guys will be wondering where dinner is," she sighed.
"Don't worry," Jack assured her, "the fish still have another half hour..." He tailed off as he leaned over to kiss her.
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Just as the sun began to set, Teal'c and Daniel gathered the lawn furniture and headed into the cabin.
They found Sam quietly preparing the table for their evening meal as Jack returned to the kitchen with a tray of steaming foil parcels.
"Impeccable timing," he announced as he laid the tray on the table and Sam retrieved the salad from the fridge. She placed a lemon on the tray beside the fish and sliced it into quarters before taking her seat and joining the guys. Teal'c cracked open 4 beers and Daniel raised his bottle in a toast.
"To the end of a war and new beginnings," he said, eyes shining gleefully towards Sam and Jack at the last part. They all raised their glasses followed by a chorus of echoes.
"Alright, let's dig in, shall we?" Jack offered as he placed a fish parcel on everyone's plates.
Over dinner they chatted about Ry'ac and Cassie, about their plans for the future and reminisced about their past misadventures. By the time dessert rolled round, they were cheerful, well-fed and relaxed. Sam set about clearing the table with help from Daniel as Teal'c and Jack retired to the living room to start the fire.
Sam washed and Daniel dried in a pattern honed over many streams and rivers on other worlds. On the third plate, Daniel nudged Sam's shoulder playfully.
"So... you and Jack, huh? How's that going?"
Sam smiled and stared down into the dishwater, nudging him back.
"It's going just fine, thanks," she answered cryptically as he raised an eyebrow.
"What, no slip ups of him trying to order you to modify the generator or you accidentally using his rank instead of his name?" He teased.
As a slow blush crept up Sam's ears, Daniel turned to her and stared pointedly crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation. Turning to him and awkwardly fiddling with the dish towel, she waved her hands about in front of her.
"Ok, ok, so I may have called him 'Sir' a couple of times... you know," she finished vaguely as Daniel's eyes widened and he burst out laughing. "It's not funny!" She exclaimed at him, a smile breaking out across her face at his laughter and her embarrassment. Daniel waved her off.
"I'm...I'm sorry, it's just..." He hiccuped between breaths, "I can picture the look on Jack's face," he continued. As his laughter subsided, he placed a hand on her arm. "After eight years of you 'Sir'-ing him to death, I'm not surprised," he added. "No wonder it's taking you time to adjust." He squeezed her arm reassuringly. "I think I know Jack well enough to tell you that I'm fairly certain he doesn't mind," he said quietly. "At least not from you," he added with a wink. Sam folded her arms across her chest.
"Daniel," she warned, waiting for him to explain. Daniel's eyes shifted to the door and shuffled closer to Sam. Lowering his voice he nodded towards the living room.
"A couple of years ago he took Teal'c and I to a... bar," he recalled frowning at the memory of jell-o rings and semi-naked women, "let's just say we all had a few too many tequilas and he wound up complaining into his beer about how a certain Major was probably getting laid with some hot young stud while he sat around eating peanuts and watching jello wrestling with an alien and Indiana Jones' son," Daniel smirked, "His only consolation was that he still got to hear you call him 'Sir' in the morning."
Sam looked affronted.
"You guys went to jello wrestling?!" She spat half in shock, half in mild disgust. Daniel grimaced.
"It was when you had your glowy house guest," he confessed, seeing recognition dawn on her face, "and-"
"And Jack and Teal'c turned up on my doorstep with pizza and movies," she finished, nodding. "He thought I had company." It was a statement, not a question.
"Well, in a way, you did," Daniel pointed out and received a friendly dig in the ribs for his troubles.
"Well, yeah, but Orlin and I never..." She trailed off, "Chance would have been a fine thing!" She muttered under her breath and shot Daniel a 'what?' stare at his shocked expression. "Oh, come on!" She exclaimed with a smirk, "You guys had all been laid at least once in the time that I'd known you... Six years!" She said exasperatedly. "And the last guy had been Jonas!" She added with mild horror.
Daniel rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully.
"Well, to be fair, Hathor was one I'd quite like to have no memory of," he grimaced, "and I'm certain Jack would like to forget that time he got the mother of all STDs..." She swatted him on the arm.
"You're right, I'm sorry. But, still, you all did have... options at least. I was stuck between McKay, Felger and a dead end!"
Daniel laughed.
"I'll tell Jack you called him that," he said waving a hand in the direction of the door.
Sam glared at him.
"You know what I meant," Sam scolded lightly.
Daniel took a deep breath and paused before asking her the question he'd been dying to ask for over a year.
"So, uh, does that explain Pete?" he asked cautiously, clearing his throat awkwardly.
Sam stared at him wide-eyed and blurted out the first thing that came into her head.
"Yes! Now why would you..." Clamping a hand over her mouth, Sam paused mid-sentence. "I mean, no!" Sam stumbled over her words as Daniel gave her a sympathetic glance. "No, that's... I mean who... that's not what... that's so unfair to him," she sighed. "Pete was a good guy," she explained, "I just never meant for it to go that far," she paused. "We were just having fun and then suddenly there was a ring and a house and talk of kids and I... panicked." She gestured around her vaguely. "In case you hadn't noticed, I kind of suck at this whole personal life thing. I thought he was offering me the life I should want so I accepted." Sam laughed bitterly. "I'd lost the one person I knew who would have, could have, said something to make me realise..."
"Janet," Daniel said softly, squeezing her arm as much for his own comfort as Sam's at their shared loss.
Sam looked up to try to stop her eyes from welling up.
"God, I'm so pathetic," she whispered, hugging her arms to her chest protectively. Daniel wrapped his arm around her and hugged her to him.
"You're not pathetic, Sam, you were going through hell. And we weren't there for you."
Sam pulled away slowly, nodding her thanks at him.
"Did you know I asked him?" She said nodding in Jack's direction. Daniel frowned. "He came to see me in my lab just after Pete proposed and I showed him the ring. Me and my big mouth..." she added quietly. "You know what I said to him, Daniel?" She said angrily as he calmly shook his head. "I asked him where he'd be if things had been different." She waved her arms angrily. "Of all the things I possibly could have said..." she trailed off, scrubbing her hands over her face. "I've thought about that day a million times over and I still can't believe I said it," she confessed. "Of all the insensitive, horrible things I could have..." Sam hung her head. "I should be grateful that he's still even speaking to me."
Daniel pulled her into his arms and squeezed her gently.
"He knows, Sam. He knows you didn't mean it that way." He whispered into her ear. Sam buried her chin in his shoulder.
"You can't know that, Daniel," She squeezed him back. "And I hurt him. God... the look on his face..." After a few minutes she pulled back and Daniel opened his mouth to speak when someone cleared their throat. They both turned to find Jack leaning against the door with an over-exaggerated questioning look on his face.
"Ahem... should I be worried?" He quipped, a ghost of a smile on his face, as Sam squeezed Daniel's arm in thanks and gave him one last look before turning back to Jack.
"Only if you are eager to fill the role of my annoying, chatty younger brother," she said, her face betraying her harsh-sounding words.
Daniel smiled smugly at Jack who smiled back. Sam turned to grab a glass of water and, with her back turned, Jack motioned his head to Daniel to go find Teal'c. Daniel frowned and Jack nodded. Daniel closed his eyes in understanding and walked towards the door. He'd heard their conversation. Just as Daniel stepped past Jack, he gave him a reassuring pat on the arm and squeezed his shoulder in thanks. Daniel nodded then disappeared down the hall.
Jack walked to the sink and leaned against the counter with his arms folded, looking down at Sam as she emptied the glass. He waited for her to finish and then silently took the glass from her hand, placing it on the draining board. Sam frowned at him in confusion.
"Listen, Sam, I'm not very good at this talking stuff," he started awkwardly and pausing for a few moments. "And I think you're about as good at it as I am," he said with a sad smile, "So I'm just gonna say this and I'm only going to say it once: I have a long list of regrets in my life, but you have never been nor will ever be one of them."
Sam's face reddened in realisation.
"You heard," she stated. He nodded his head.
Sam hung her head.
"What I said to you that day... well, it was inexcusable and I'm sorry for the way it came out." She rubbed her thumb across his wrist. "I never meant to hurt you."
She stepped away from him and stared at the ceiling. He approached her from behind and laid a hand on her shoulder. Turning her to face him, he pulled her into a fierce hug. He buried his head in her shoulder and planted a soft kiss on her neck.
"Charlie loved it here," he whispered into her neck. "Someday, I'll tell you all about him," he said squeezing her tightly. She squeezed him back even harder.
"I'd like that," she replied, stroking his hair, content to wait until he was ready. Pulling back, he planted a gentle kiss on her lips. He knew she deserved more but his old life and new life had rarely met and he didn't want to risk this fledgling relationship by rushing things. He'd screwed up enough in his life to finally know when to take baby steps and his feelings over Charlie was the one card he would always hold most tightly to his chest. And, for some unfathomable reason that he could only ever chalk down to sheer amazing luck, he had found a woman who was willing to accept him, baggage and all, who somehow understood.
And that, in a nutshell, was his absolute favourite thing about Samantha Carter.